5 reasons why the Brazilian National Jiu-Jitsu championship is a big deal

The 2016 Brazilian National Jiu-Jitsu championship takes place this week (April 27-May 1), once again in Barueri, São Paulo.

One more time, the event broke all records in terms of athletes’ registration.

Here are 5 reasons why the Brazilian Nationals are such a big deal for Jiu-Jitsu.

Brazilian Nationals in 1998

1. It is the longest running Jiu-Jitsu event still going strong

The first Brazilian Nationals took place in 1994, making this year’s edition the 23rd. It has seen multiple generations come and go with each and every one of the greatest names of the gentle art showing their talent and fighting hard to take home a gold medal. Just signing up to compete is being a part of one of the gentle art’s richest stories.

2. It is the biggest event ever

The CBJJ just announced that 4406 athletes have registered to compete in Barueri this week. From kids to master 6 athletes, the event is an annual celebration of the power of Jiu-Jitsu in Brazil. Last year, the event had 3447 athletes, which means an increase of more than 20% for 2016.

3. It’s where new talents from the most dominant country in Jiu-Jitsu come to light

If you want to get a sense of who the next big stars in Jiu-Jitsu will be, take a look at the lower belt divisions of the Brasileiro. Despite the growth in quality in countries all over the world, it is still undeniable that Brazil holds firmly the honor of most dominant nation in terms of new talents.

Leo Nogueira at the 2007 Brasileiro as a brown belt

4. It’s the last big tournament before the Worlds

With the Europeans, Pan and WPJJC gone, the Brasileiro is the last big one before the biggest one in June. World champions will use the event to sharpen their weapons for the big stage in Long Beach and to try new tricks.